UCLA track and field will enter its seventh and final regular-season outdoor meet this weekend. But this is when the season truly starts, said sprint and hurdles assistant coach Joanna Hayes.
“There are certain meets that you know, ‘OK, this is just training,’” said Hayes, who was a UCLA hurdler from 1996 to 1999. “It was like ‘Oh, ’SC’ – and the season started. Everything before was cool, it was fun, but now it’s time to get real.”
Hayes said that during her career, every UCLA athlete would always bring something extra once the crosstown rivalry meet came each year – many reached new season highs and personal bests. During Hayes’ four-year career, UCLA women’s track and field went 4-0 against USC and 39-0 overall, establishing a dominance in the rivalry and in collegiate track and field.
“It seemed like every time we stepped on the track, somebody set a dual meet record. I mean we killed it in everything,” Hayes said.
Now, as a UCLA coach, Hayes said times are different. The Bruins’ women’s team has lost six of its last seven USC dual meets, including Hayes’ first rivalry meet as a coach last year. But Hayes said she’s driven to bringing the Bruins back to their position of dominance in the crosstown rivalry.
“Anytime you coach, you want the best for your athletes (and) school,” Hayes said. “But when it’s your alma mater, it’s personal to you, so you want to do everything you can to make sure it succeeds and brings the program back to where it should be.”
While the UCLA track alumna will enter Sunday’s dual meet at USC looking to buck a losing trend, a UCLA track alumnus looks to continue a winning one on the men’s side.
Former Bruin thrower John Frazier enters his second year as the men’s throw coach after leading the men’s team to a win last season. Akin to Hayes, Frazier believes the USC meet always brings out something extra from Bruin athletes. During Frazier’s UCLA career from 1982 to 1986, he achieved his personal bests against USC in shot put and hammer – the latter mark ranks 10th all-time in school history.
“At meets like this, someone usually steps up,” Frazier said. “I remember I used to come to Drake Stadium when I was in high school for home meets, and someone would always do something very out of the ordinary.”
Now, with the USC meet fast approaching, Frazier is trying to channel that same performance boost in the current UCLA throwers. One of the breakout candidates is redshirt junior and former Daily Bruin writer Nicholas Scarvelis, who Frazier has helped mold into the nation’s No. 9 outdoor shot putter this year.
“For Nick, our relationship has grown tremendously because we’re able to communicate,” Frazier said. “He speaks in a different language, I speak in a different language, and then we translate and understand each other. He just has to do his job.”
Senior thrower Braheme Daysis another breakout candidate who’s grown under Frazier’s expertise over the last year. Last summer, Days set the American junior record in the shot put with a throw of 65-5.50 at the 2014 imperial section of the USATF Junior Outdoor Championship and subsequently won the event.
“I’m looking at Braheme Days to step up (against USC),” Frazier said. “He’s struggled a little bit after a great start, but I think he’s ready to make the next step for us.”
All in all, the entire program, both athletes and coaches, has been looking forward to this meet all year. Redshirt senior thrower Derek Eager said the intensity level at practice has taken another step up this week.
“The whole mentality of practice changes this week, it’s not as laid back or relaxed – everyone’s focused, everyone’s ready to roll,” Eager said. “The whole environment of the meet is set up where everyone can (make personal records) and do their best. So everyone gets really excited for it.”
The meet will kick off with field events starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, and track events starting at 4 p.m. As for Frazier and Hayes, they will both be present, doing everything they can to secure a victory for the Bruins.
“Nobody wants to be the team to lose to ‘SC. But you know what, we can be the team who brings it back,” Hayes said. “I know for sure, we’ll bring it back. If it isn’t this year, it’ll be close after.”
Contributing reports by David Wong, Bruin Sports contributor.